Univik EDB Converter for Windows
At a Glance
Key Features
Opens Dirty Shutdown Databases
Logs found next to the .edb are replayed into a copy, like eseutil /r. With no logs, the copy is repaired inside the app.
At a Glance
Univik EDB Converter in Numbers Which databases it opens, what it writes and what it costs
7
Exchange Releases
2000, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019 mailbox databases.
10
Export Targets
Seven file types from PST to CSV, plus Office 365, Gmail and IMAP.
0
Exchange Servers
Windows' own database engine reads the file offline. No mount, no Exchange install.
6.10
Current Version
Windows 11 and 10 with .NET Framework 4.8 or higher.
$99
Starting Price
The trial saves 10 messages per folder. Licences start at $99 for 2 PCs.
Key Features
What Univik EDB Converter Does Six offline jobs the software handles that a stopped Exchange server cannot
Reads Pages Exchange Gave Up On
When the engine cannot open a file at all, a raw page reader takes over. It skips broken pages and keeps every row it can still read.
Public Folder Stores Too
An Exchange 2000 to 2007 public folder database such as pub1.edb opens as one Public Folders tree with its contacts, calendars and tasks.
More Than Email
Appointments keep start, end and location. Contacts keep phones and addresses. Tasks keep status and due date.
Flags and Read State Carried Over
Unread mail stays bold in the PST. Follow-up flags, Outlook categories and the original Internet headers come along.
Upload to Office 365, Gmail or IMAP
Send a mailbox into its new home, either into the mailbox's own folders or into a folder of its own that leaves existing mail alone.
The Short Version
Why Won't an Exchange EDB File Open Without a Server?
Because Exchange's own tools only read a mounted database. An .edb file is the database Exchange keeps every mailbox in, and two things lock the mail inside it.
Trap 1: Exchange's Export Needs a Live Server
New-MailboxExportRequest only works on a mounted database. It also needs the Mailbox Import Export role and a network share. An EDB backup copied to a USB drive gives it nothing to work with.
Trap 2: A Hard Repair Throws Pages Away
A database in dirty shutdown will not mount. Without its logs the usual fix is eseutil /p, which deletes the pages it cannot read, right in the original file.
The Way Out: Read the Database File Directly
Univik EDB Converter reads the .edb through the Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) built into Windows and never writes to it. ESE is the database technology Exchange itself runs on. Our advice: replay the logs first and treat repair as the last step. The software only ever repairs a copy.
"Most dirty databases we see still have their logs somewhere. Replay them into a copy first. A hard repair is the step you cannot take back."
Inside the Database Folder
Inside the Database FolderWhich Files Make Up an Exchange Mailbox Database?
.edb
The Database Itself
One file holds every mailbox: messages, folders, calendars and attachments. Exchange 2003 named it priv1.edb. Newer releases call it Mailbox Database followed by a number.
E00*.log
Transaction Logs
Changes not yet written into the database. Keep them with the .edb or point the converter at their folder, and they are replayed into a copy.
.stm
Streaming File (2000 and 2003)
Exchange 2000 and 2003 kept some Internet mail bodies here. The tool does not read .stm files yet. Items stored there are listed as missing in the export notes.
Three Steps
Three StepsHow to Batch Convert Exchange EDB Mailboxes
Batch convert EDB mailboxes and export EDB files with no mount and no PowerShell.
1
Open the EDB File
Click Open EDB file or drag the .edb onto the window. Use Open EDB with its log folder when the logs sit elsewhere.
2
Choose Mailboxes and Format
Click Export, keep every mailbox or pick one, then choose PST, MSG, EML, PDF or an Office 365, Gmail or IMAP mailbox.
3
Export and Check the Report
Run the batch. The report counts what was written, skipped or incomplete. Save it as a CSV beside the output.
Download the Free EDB Converter Trial
Windows 11 and 10 · no Exchange or Outlook needed · nothing uploaded to Univik · support from the people who build it
Real Situations
Real SituationsWhen Do You Need an EDB Converter Tool?
Retiring an Old Server
Exchange 2016 and 2019 left support on 14 October 2025, per Microsoft. Keep the databases and export mailboxes after the server is gone.
A Database That Will Not Mount
A power cut or a full disk left it in dirty shutdown and the logs are gone. Read the mail now and decide about repair later.
One Former Employee's Mail
Legal or HR needs one person's mail from an archived .edb. Export that mailbox to PST or PDF.
Finding Your Files
Where Does Exchange Keep Its EDB Files?
Good to know
Exchange 2013 to 2019 put the first database under Exchange Server\V15\Mailbox inside Program Files, one folder per database. Exchange 2010 uses the V14\Mailbox folder. Exchange 2003 keeps priv1.edb and pub1.edb in Exchsrvr\MDBDATA.
Most admins move databases to their own drive, so ask the server: Get-MailboxDatabase | fl Name,EdbFilePath prints the real path. A file Exchange still holds open is copied first, so the server can keep running.
Compare Your Options
Which Way Gets Mail out of an EDB File?
Use PowerShell export on a healthy server. Use Univik EDB Converter once the server is gone or the database will not mount.
| What you need | Exchange Export (PowerShell) | Eseutil Repair, Then Remount | Univik EDB ConverterTRIAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | From $99 |
| Needs a running Exchange server | Yes | Yes | No |
| Opens a dismounted or dirty .edb | No, must be mounted | After recovery or repair | Yes |
| Leaves the original file as it was | Yes | No, repair changes it | Yes, works on a copy |
| Preview mail before export | No | No | Yes, message by message |
| Try before you pay | Free | Free | 10 messages per folder |
| Output you get | PST | A mounted database again | PST, MSG, EML, MBOX, PDF, HTML, CSV or cloud |
| Best for | A healthy server you still run | Putting a server back in service | A database file without its server |
PowerShell export is free and scripts well for hundreds of mailboxes. Eseutil repair is the right call only when the server must go back into service.
What You Need
System Requirements Univik EDB Converter needs a Windows PC and some free disk space
Operating System
Windows 11 or 10. A 64-bit edition suits large databases. Windows Update installs .NET Framework 4.8 if it is missing.
Exchange Not Required
This Exchange EDB converter uses the database engine that ships with Windows. No Exchange install, no Outlook and no mount.
Free Space for a Copy
A dirty or locked database is copied first, so the working folder needs the database size plus 256 MB. Short on space, it reads the file in place instead.
Light on Memory
A 9.1 GB database listed with a peak of 183 MB of RAM. Internet is only needed for cloud uploads.
| Software Information | Univik EDB Converter |
| Version | 6.10 (Latest) |
| Licence | Free trial, paid licences from $99 |
| Platform | Windows 11 and 10 |
| Framework | Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 or later |
| Reads | Exchange 2000 to 2019 mailbox databases (.edb), Exchange 2000 to 2007 public folder databases and E00 transaction logs |
| Writes | PST, MSG, EML, MBOX, PDF, HTML and CSV, plus attachments as separate files. PST files split at 50 GB, Outlook's default size limit. |
| Moves To | Office 365, Gmail and any IMAP mailbox |
| Not Read Yet | .stm streaming files from Exchange 2000 and 2003 |
Questions
Exchange EDB Conversion Questions
Use Univik EDB Converter to open an .edb file on any PC. The file is an Exchange mailbox database and only a running Exchange server can mount it. The converter software reads it on Windows 11 or 10 with no Outlook needed, lists every mailbox and saves the mail as PST, EML, PDF and other common formats.
Yes. When transaction logs sit next to the .edb file, the tool replays them into a copy, the same soft recovery eseutil /r does. Without logs it repairs the copy. If that fails it reads the pages directly. Your original file is never written to.
Mailbox databases from Exchange 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019, plus Exchange 2000 to 2007 public folder databases such as pub1.edb. On Exchange 2000 and 2003, bodies kept in the separate .stm file are not read and are listed as missing.
Exchange 2013 to 2019 use Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Mailbox, with one folder per database. Exchange 2010 uses the V14 folder and Exchange 2003 uses Exchsrvr\MDBDATA. Admins often move databases to another drive, so run Get-MailboxDatabase | fl Name,EdbFilePath on the server to see the real path.
Yes. A clean database opens read-only where it is. A dirty or locked file is copied to a working folder first, so log replay and repair only ever touch the copy. Everything runs on your PC and nothing goes to a Univik server.
They do different jobs. Eseutil repairs the database in place so Exchange can mount it again, and its hard repair deletes pages it cannot read. The converter leaves the original alone and gets the mail out as files. Use eseutil to put a server back in service and the converter when you need the mail.
Yes. Choose to export only the selected folder or mailbox and pick one user. Each mailbox keeps its folder tree, from Inbox and Sent Items to Calendar and Contacts. By default each mailbox becomes its own PST file.
No. Univik EDB Converter needs Windows 11 or 10, because it reads databases through the engine built into Windows. On a Mac, copy the .edb file to a Windows PC or a Windows virtual machine and convert it there.
It exports the Recoverable Items folder, where Exchange keeps deleted and purged items for a set retention time. On a damaged Exchange 2010 database, items whose folder record was lost appear under Recovered items with their subject, sender and date.
The free trial saves the first 10 messages of every folder, so you can check the output on your own database. A licence starts at $99 and covers 2 PCs, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
More Tools
More Univik Outlook and Exchange Tools
Page Reviewed by Nick Rogers Founder, Univik
Fact Checked
Nick Rogers, who started Univik in 2013, checked this page. Version 6.10 was tested on a 9.1 GB Small Business Server 2011 database left in dirty shutdown with no logs and about 32,000 missing pages. It listed 7 of the 9 user mailboxes and 39,561 items, 17,946 of them under Recovered items. The exported PST files open in Outlook for Microsoft 365. Facts about Exchange are checked against Microsoft documentation. The installer is digitally signed. The software opens databases read-only, runs file exports on your own PC and comes with a 30-day refund policy.
Last reviewed on 2 October 2026
Since 2013Signed InstallerRead-Only OpenFiles Stay on Your PC30-Day Refund